KALAMAZOO — Many people think gun violence is something that happens “elsewhere” — some other community, some other school, some other neighborhood. So they pay it little mind, convinced it doesn’t affect them.
That view can keep gun violence from being a widely shared priority. It’s also completely wrong.
“Gun violence costs all of us,” said Andrea Macklin, Associate Director of Community Impact.
“First, and most important, it costs human lives. We should all care about that.
“There are other costs, too,” she added. “It hurts the local economy. It hits a community’s reputation, chasing away businesses and tourists. It diverts tax dollars from things that can build a community up.
“So it’s more than just one or two neighborhoods’ problem. When we work together to make one neighborhood better, all neighborhoods do better,” said Macklin.
Grants Address Gun Violence
United Way SCMI provides grants to a shared effort to tackle gun violence. These Community Violence Intervention funds were earmarked by the City of Kalamazoo and Kalamazoo County from federal American Rescue Plan dollars.
UWSCMI administers the grantmaking process, reviewing applications and awarding grants to organizations based on their expertise and community presence. A total of $823,000 has been awarded so far, much of it going to Shared Prosperity Kalamazoo neighborhoods.
Macklin said UWSCMI is the right fit for this role.
“We have experience and expertise in evaluating grant requests for equitable impact,” she said. “We know how to work with and support community partners so they can be successful. And, especially after last year’s merger, we can leverage our scale to manage federal dollars that many smaller, grassroots organizations don’t have the capacity to do.”
Another key connection point: Addressing gun violence fits with United Way’s focus on equity and financial stability.
Another key connection point: Addressing gun violence fits with United Way’s focus on equity and financial stability.
“Racial and economic disparities are closely linked to many issues, including gun violence,” Macklin explained. “The work United Way does with community partners helps meet the basic needs of ALICE* families, helps build pathways so they can be financially stable, and targets specific challenges faced by marginalized and under-represented people.”
Public Health & Blueprint For Peace
A Kalamazoo coalition of over 150 community members from city government, public safety, advocacy groups, nonprofits, health care, grassroots and neighborhood associations spent two years developing goals and strategies to address gun violence. Called the Blueprint for Peace, it is modeled on a similar approach in Milwaukee that treats gun violence as a public health concern.
“By using a public health lens, the whole community can focus its combined strength on preventing harm, intervening to break cycles that breed violence, and promote healing by repairing harm and restoring hope,” Macklin said.
The Kalamazoo Community Foundation, ISAAC (Interfaith Strategy for Advocacy & Action in the Community), HOPE Thru Navigation, and Urban Alliance are among the groups leading the effort to develop, support and apply the Blueprint for Peace.
The Blueprint lays out six goals:
- Stop The Shooting, Stop The Violence
- Increase Access and Build Capacity for Healing and Community Restoration
- Support Children, Youth and Families
- Cultivate Economic Stability
- Foster Safe and Strong Neighborhoods
- Strengthen Capacity and Coordination
You can read a summary of strategies and actions tied to these goals by clicking here.
“The Blueprint lays out the path for the next phase of addressing gun violence in Kalamazoo,” Macklin said.
“We’re excited to see the community come together to address this critical issue,” she added. “UWSCMI is proud to be part of this work, grateful for the committed partners making it happen, and hopeful that lives will be saved and transformed.”
Learn about the effects of gun violence on local young people in this report from NowKalamazoo, “We Are Survivors of Gun Violence,” part of the NK’s Beyond Bullets series.
Photo at top: Jen Heymoss, vice president for Initiatives & Public Policy at the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, discusses the Blueprint For Peace during an interview with NowKalamazoo.
*ALICE = Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed